3rd Act - Redefining Normal - Two Foster Kids that beat the odds

Redefining Normal - Two Foster Kids that beat the odds

11/02/21 • 28 min

Coming up on the one-year anniversary of their Book "Redefining Normal" Justin and Alexis update our audience what they have been up to and what is coming up for them.

Growing up, they didn’t believe they had a future. Together, they are building forever.

Alexis Black was six when her mother died and thirteen when her father went to prison for child endangerment. After subsequently surviving a long and abusive relationship, the college junior promised her foster parents that she would avoid romantic entanglements for at least a year. But when she met incoming freshman Justin on the first day of their scholarship program, they both felt the world melt away, leaving just the two of them in the room.

Justin Black lived in abandoned houses in the poorest section of Detroit before his parents surrendered him to CPS at the age of nine. He stayed in the child welfare system until he was graduated from high school. Determined to be the first in his family to pursue higher education, Black attended Western Michigan University, where he met beautiful third-year Alexis. At first, their past traumas--and their age difference--conspired to complicate their attraction. But the joy each took in the other eventually conquered those obstacles, and these two survivors journeyed hand-in-hand toward healing.

In their stark and often shocking story, Alexis and Justin reveal how two people brutalized in childhood managed to defy the odds, get healthy, and build a new life together. Guided by hope and a sense of purpose, as well as a desire to help others who have similarly suffered, they learned to reject the abusive patterns of their past, thereby breaking the cycle of generational violence and neglect.

Written in alternating accounts, Justin and Alexis offer a thoughtful exchange of ideas and personal experiences illustrating how anybody, no matter their background, can heal and find joy.

We talk to them about how they met and started their romantic relationship. They are now working as full-time entrepreneurs.

They started an organization called Redefining Normal to talk about mental health boundaries, healthy relationships, definitions of love, community success, and all of the things in the books.

They have several workbooks, graphic novels, and other items in the works. Justin has a podcast called ROSE from Concrete.

You can reach out at [email protected] or follow them on social media
| Facebook | Instagram | Tick tock @re.definingnormal

Coming up on the one-year anniversary of their Book "Redefining Normal" Justin and Alexis update our audience what they have been up to and what is coming up for them.

Growing up, they didn’t believe they had a future. Together, they are building forever.

Written in alternating accounts, Justin and Alexis offer a thoughtful exchange of ideas and personal experiences illustrating how anybody, no matter their background, can heal and find joy.

We talk to them about how they met and started their romantic relationship. They are now working as full-time entrepreneurs.

They started an organization called Redefining Normal to talk about mental health boundaries, healthy relationships, definitions of love, community success, and all of the things in the books.

They have several workbooks, graphic novels, and other items in the works. Justin has a podcast called ROSE from Concrete.

You can reach out at [email protected] or follow them on social media
| Facebook | Instagram | Tick tock @re.definingnormal

Previous Episode

Turning tragedy into purpose with Steven Dowd

Steven is a disabled motivational speaker, based in London.

Themes he speaks about:

Disability
Forced Change
Planning for Resilience, and
Dealing with Uncertainty

Steven Dowd committed to get fit and agreed to compete in a charity cycling event.

He bought a bike, started training and rode to work like thousands of others.

Early one June morning he was headed to a friend’s flat to do the daily commute together, but never arrived...

A freak accident left him paralysed from the neck down.

With candour and humour in keynote talks for international corporate audiences Steven shares his story, the highest highs and the lowest lows of an against-all-odds recovery journey and how he approached the situation to achieve his greatest successes to date.

“There are always lessons to be learned in challenging situations. Every situation can be useful no matter how uncomfortable. I didn’t always appreciate that.”
-Steven Dowd

An ‘Everyman’ with a long corporate career himself, Steven genuinely understands the corporate audience and is highly relatable. He clearly underlines that ordinary people can achieve extraordinary things with the right toolkit.

The insights and take-aways are specifically aimed at benefitting anyone going through personal or professional challenges, facing significant events or forced change.

“There’s no hierarchy around challenge. We will all face our biggest challenges at home or at work at some point. The good news is you don’t need to break your neck to learn a thing or two beforehand that just might help.”
-Steven Dowd

After Steven was injured, in his a very dark time, he even started to talk to his wife about going to Switzerland for assisted suicide, but he decided against it and instead made a decision that after surgery he would give himself 200 days to get better.

He started to take steps after 90 days and lived by the advice try to be better than you were the day before and if you are celebrate that little step as a victory.

Stephan talks about how he decided to be a motivational speaker and what that process was like for him.

We discuss the importance of not comparing your biggest challenge to another persons biggest challenge.
Stephan talks about the rowing event he was apart of and how impactful it was

Next Episode

The Definition of Homelessness

In This Episode:

Kimber is an active advocate for children and seniors that are struggling without food and shelter in Pontiac and throughout Oakland County, Michigan.
We talk about the housing issue in Oakland County, in part because of the definitions of homelessness in HUD housing. Kimber explains and unpacks some of the challenges of the nationwide housing shortage.
With children, the definition is much "kinder" you have to be sleeping in your car or doubled up in someone's home. This makes it easier for them to get some services through their school or other programs.
Oakland County has 3200 children who are considered to be homeless.
When Kimber brought up how the definition of homelessness was hurting and not helping with Congresswoman Brenda Lawrence it started a task force.
The three missions of the task force
- Identify legislative areas to make changes
- Educate leaders about the barriers that people in homelessness face
- Get everyday people involved in the solution
Kimber shares stories of what it is like helping people dealing with poverty and homelessness navigate the government programs designed to give funds to people.

Quotes from This Episode:

Engaging the community to solve our problems is one of our missions. ~Kimber
I've probably worked 20, 30 hours on it to get the right person (about funding in a program to assist with rent). And if you can imagine that I'm completely exhausted from trying to find the organization and supposed to help. Can you imagine, having not sure where you're going to go that night? Not sure when you're going to be trying to call these places to get help. ~Kimber

Links To Things We Talk About:

The HUD definition of homelessness.
If you'd like to get involved you can reach out to kimber at [email protected], or call her at (248) 840-9858 or follow the Facebook page for Oakland County Task Force on Poverty and Homelessness
Coats for the Cold - Coat Drive 2021
Help a family in need this Christmas Season
Kids Empowered On The Move

Episode Info:

This episode of the 3rd Act podcast is brought to you by WeAreThirdAct.com. Built on the pillars of illumination, compassion, and inspiration, it's your place to get involved, spotlights of non-profits, and 3rd Act Merch.

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